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The Ospreys take on the Lions on Friday night (7.45pm) at the end of an extremely difficult week
With Welsh rugby in turmoil, it would be easy to overlook the fact the Ospreys still have a crucial game to prepare for on Friday night against the Lions at the Brewery Field.
The Swansea-based club has been plunged into crisis after it emerged that their owners, Y11 Sports & Media, are the Welsh Rugby Union’s preferred bidders to buy Cardiff Rugby.
Should a deal be completed, there is a very real prospect the Ospreys could cease to exist in their current form, or be forced into a merger with the capital club.
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The fallout has been felt sharply by the players, who have endured a deeply unsettling week.
Training was cancelled on Tuesday, while a tense meeting with chief executive Lance Bradley saw some squad members walk out as uncertainty continues to swirl around the future of the region.
The Ospreys are currently ninth in the United Rugby Championship table, just one point off the play-off places.
Dewi Lake is set to captain the side, while centre Keiran Williams will make his 100th appearance for the club.
Lake is joined in the front-row by Steffan Thomas and Tom Botha, with Rhys Davies and Ryan Smith in the second-row.
James Ratti lines up at six, Harri Deaves takes up the other flank and Morgan Morris starts at No 8.
Kieran Hardy starts at scrum-half with Dan Edwards at 10, while Owen Watkin partners Williams in midfield.
In the back three, Iestyn Hopkins starts at full back, with Keelan Giles on one wing and Dan Kasende on the other.
“We have got a pretty fit squad,” said Ospreys head coach Mark Jones.
“There were a few questions on why we rotated the squad for the Montpellier game trying to get a home draw.
“But I really felt players had earned an opportunity to play. I want everybody to feel like if they play well they can get into the shirt because that’s only going to add to our competition and add to the energy and the environment.
“It’ll keep people hungry in wanting to get into the shirt.
“The other thing it allowed us to do is freshen our players up for this week as well.
“So, we’ve got a lot of fresh players who are hungry and wanting to get back into the jersey and waiting to rip in on Friday night.
“The team is looking good. We are are really happy with who we are selecting and we are looking forward to the game.”
Ospreys: Iestyn Hopkins; Dan Kasende, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles, Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Steffan Thomas, Dewi Lake (Captain), Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Ryan Smith, James Ratti, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Cam Jones, Kian Hire, Lewis Jones, Ross Moriarty, Morgan Morse, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Phil Cokanasiga.
